Use biometrics for big wins
Digital systems are everywhere in today’s world and have become so integrated with our lives that we don’t even notice we’re using them – like when we check our smartphones. Adding biometric information to digital systems can improve their usefulness. In agriculture, biometrics can be used for people or livestock.
Mitigate disease risk
One application is for biosecurity and disease risk mitigation. People can inadvertently transfer disease, especially when going from farm to farm as part of their daily jobs. A biosecurity management system that uses facial recognition for barn entry can help mitigate risk.
Such systems include Protocol®, offered by Farm Health Guardian. “Just like opening your cell phone using your facial characteristics, you’re opening the barn door the same way,” says CEO Rob Hannam. “The brains behind the system are the real key here. We’re monitoring what farms you’ve been to recently within that network, and if the health status is different, or if you were at a farm two days ago that broke with disease, it’s not going to unlock the door.” Protocol® helps farm operators and food companies take biosecurity to the next level.
Livestock identification
Livestock identification is another application for biometrics, as is the case with OneCup AI. Bovine Expert Tracking and Surveillance (BETSY) consists of a cloud-based AI pipeline and cameras to identify and track livestock from almost any angle. BETSY is installed near where cattle gather, such as a feeder. “There are 52 points on every animal that allow us to pull data on it,” says CEO Mokah Shmigelsky. “Once BETSY has identified an animal, it collects data every time it sees that individual and creates an animal history.”
Customers can view their cattle in real time, and farm operators can receive alerts if a cow is close to calving or is in oestrus and ready for breeding.
The system digitizes, automates and shares traceability and production information for farmers to gain insights into their operations while achieving regulatory compliance.
PrüvIT software also uses biometrics for animal ID – FaceIT – for sheep identification. “The goal is to facilitate automating data for traceability reporting and autonomous data collection,” says Corlena Patterson, CEO of PrüvIT. The system digitizes, automates and shares traceability and production information for farmers to gain insights into their operations while achieving regulatory compliance. FaceIT can capture an animal’s ID from various angles.
“Outside of traceability, using camera vision and biometrics makes data collection more autonomous, cutting down on the labour required to collect certain information,” Patterson says.
Both OneCup AI and PrüvIT can be used for other livestock species, like horses and goats.
Whether used for gaining production insights or better biosecurity management, biometrics enhance digital systems, potentially revolutionizing farm management.
From an AgriSuccess article by Lorraine Stevenson-Hall.